BR 601/602

From 1968 the trainsets VT 11.5 were renumbered to BR 601. For the precise numbers of all motorunits and coaches, see the history and development of this trainset.

After a while the DB switched over to pulled trains in the TEE services. The last TEE service with a trainset VT 11.5 was TEE 84 Mediolanum (München-Milano) on 20 August 1972.

But the trainsets VT 11.5 were used from 1971 in the new Intercity network, the trainsets were in service in the Intercity network until the summer of 1979 when the second class was introduced in Intercity trains. At that time all trainsets BR 601 went to the Bw Frankfurt/M.

The trainsets were in service in the Intercity network besides by locomotives pulled trains. The TEE logos on the frontends were replaced by new Intercity logos. From 26 September 1971 the trainsets were brought into service on the relations Wiesbaden-Stuttgart-München as "Hessen-Kurier" and "Jakob Fugger", Frankfurt-Stuttgart-München as "Präsident", Frankfurt-Würzburg-München (seasonal also to Innsbruck) as "Prinzregent" and Bremen-Hannover-München as "Nordwind/Südwind".

When the last TEE service with a trainset BR 601 on 20 August 1972 was also replaced by a pulled train, this trainset was entering on 1 Oktober 1972 the IC service "Merian/Markgraf" between Frankfurt and Basel. In the weekends in the winter timetable the trainsets also rode IC train "Karwendel" Frankfurt-Seefeld (Tirol). This IC service was also the next years a train which was ridden by a BR 601 trainset, this train was very popular by winter sports tourists.

Because the number of passengers which made use of the Intercity services was go up, also the demand for seats was risen. Therefore the DB was investigating the opportunity to extend the trainsets with two middle coaches. The maximum topspeed of 160 km/h had to remain.

Therefore four motorunits were modified in 1972 for gas propulsion, the modified motorunits were renumbered to BR 602. The motorunits got a gasturbine which was derived from the principle of gas propulsion often used by helicopters. Because of this modification the power of a trainset with one motorunit 601 and one motorunit 602 could be raised with 810 kW, without raising the weight. The motorunits 602 could be recognized by the exhaust pipes on both fronts, where the BR 601 only had a exhaust grill.

From 14 July 1974 IC "Sachsenroß" on the line Ludwigshafen-Frankfurt(Main)-Hamburg-Altona was a gasturbine train with two motorunits BR 602. At the beginning of 1975 this trainset was converted to one motorunit 601 with one motorunit 602. In the timetable of 1975/76 IC 131 "Prinzipal" between Hamburg-Altona and Köln was also a gasturbine train. This train had an average speed of 114 km/h. From 30 May 1976 the trainsets were running definitive with one motorunit 601 and one motorunit 602. IC "Prinzipal" was running for two years in this configuration until 27 May 1978. At the same time there were on the relations Hamburg-Altona-Köln-Bonn and Hannover-Köln-Bonn-Frankfurt another two trainsets 601/602 in service.

In practice the gasturbine trainsets doesn't satisfy the needs of the DB, there were also a lot of defects to the motorunits. Because of that, all motorunits BR 602 which had as maintenance facilities Hamburg Altona were put out of service in 1978 and 1979.

Because the trainsets were often brought into service in the charter services for tourists, the DB decides to rebuild the trainsets BR 601 which were not anymore in service in the Intercity services, for tourist train services. The middle coaches were modernized and fitted to their new job. The Intercity logos on the frontends were replaced by the DB logos. One of the main services of these trainsets were the Alpen-See-Express services. But also similar services were planned. The trainsets which had Hamburg as maintenance facilities were moved to Bw Hamm, which was the last maintenance facilities of the trainsets BR 601. Despite of the fact that the trainsets did there services as it should be done, the DB decided to stop further research to other possibilities of these trainsets. At the beginning of the eighties a couple of trainsets VT 11.5/601 were saved from demolishing. These are used now in tourist trains and trains for railway enthousiastics. There is also a trainsets in the DB museum in Nürnberg.